Debra Levin Gelman: Designing Immersive Online Environments for Kids

Deb Gelman has been involved with kids and media since 1993. After earning bachelors' degrees in visual media and psychology from American University in Washington, DC, Deb worked in childrenis television, creating educational programming for elementary-school kids. She moved into interactive media in the late 90s, studying information design and technology at Georgia Tech. Her masters' thesis, and subsequent work, focused on using immersive online iworldsi to teach kids about environmental science.

Since that time, Deb has been designing kids websites, software, and virtual environments for companies including Crayola, PBS Sprout, Scholastic, The Campbellis Soup Company, and Comcast. Her most recent virtual worlds project was the award-winning Planet Orange, an initiative of ING Direct designed to teach 1-6th graders financial literacy. Deb currently works at Comcast Interactive Media in Philadelphia, PA.